Crime And PunishmentSummaryPart One Essay Research Paper

Crime and Punishment-Summary-Part One

The story begins as the main character, Rodion Raskolnikov, is walking to visit an old pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna. He is in a confused state, and must avoid his landlady because he owes rent for quite some time. He arrives at the pawnbroker’s and pawns a watch that his father gave him. He is disgusted by what happens at the pawnbroker’s and feels that he had been cheated out of his money. He leaves the pawnbroker’s shop very mad. On the way back to his home, Raskolnikov stops into a bar for food and a drink. There he meets Semyon Marmeladov who was a government worker, but was fired because he is an alcoholic. Marmeladov talks about his marriage to a widow whom was born into a higher class than he, but married him because of her destitution. While Marmeladov was unemployed, his daughter had to become a prostitute in order to support the family. Marmeladov had stolen all of the family s money and had been drinking for five days straight, because of this, he was afraid to return home. Raskolnikov helps Marmeladov return home and realizes the poverty in which his family lives in. This poverty makes Raskolnikov feel guilty and gives Marmeladov some of his money. This shows that Raskolnikov has a good side to himself and is not only a cruel, cold killer. The next day, Raskolnikov is told that his landlady is taking legal action against Raskolnikov for the money that is due for rent. He also receives a letter from his mother and before reading it, he kisses it. This may be evidence of an Oedipus complex. The letter states that Raskolnikov s sister is engaged to be married to a kinsman. This marriage of Dounia, Raskolnidov s sister, and Marga Petrovna, the kinsman, is done purely out of Dounia s greed. Raskolnikov goes on a walk, and decides to visit a friend from school, Razumihin. Then he changes his mind and says that he will visit Razumihin the next day. Raskolnikov then stops into a bar, has a glass of vodka, and makes his way to the park. Here he finds a bench and immediately falls asleep. While he is asleep he has a dream that disturbs him. He basically dismisses the dream as if it were just a bad dream. Afterwards he walks through the hay market and overhears that Lizaveta, the sister of the pawnbroker, will be away at seven o clock. This brings Raskolnikov one-step closer to committing the crime. For the crime, Raskolnikov sews a rope into his jacket, and plans to steal an ax from the kitchen, which he will put in his jacket, and will be held by the rope. When he goes to the kitchen, he finds that it is locked and is forced to steal an ax from the porter. He brings a pledge, which is wrapped very tightly so that the pawnbroker will have trouble opening it. Then once he has made all the preparations, he makes his way to the pawnbroker s apartment. While Alyona opens the pledge, Raskolnikov removes the ax form his jacket and hits her over the head with the blunt side. He then searches the body and removes a set of keys, and a purse, which is stuffed full. Then, Lizaveta enters and Raskolnikov splits the top of her head open with the sharp side of the ax.